


Memories

by Blueleaf12



Category: Mother 3
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Aphantasia, Duster has lowkey aphantasia because i said so, Kinda, at least partially
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 12:49:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19006135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueleaf12/pseuds/Blueleaf12
Summary: After joining Lucas, Kumatora, and Boney after losing his memories, Duster is trying to find himself again. However, his memories are still buried deep in his mind. Both Kumatora and Lucas attempt to use their psychic powers to unearth them.





	Memories

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on a whim the other day. I hope you guys enjoy it.  
> NOTE: I'm playing Mother 3 for the first time right now, and I'm only at the beginning of Chapter 4, hence the fic. No spoilers please!  
> Also I haven't looked up much about Duster's past, if it is ever talked about more in game, so this was also made up as I went.  
> This is ALSO based a little on myself. I have aphantasia, or the inability to make mental images.

"Duster, are you ready?"

Duster looked uncertain. He looked everywhere else besides Kumatora. Fixed on the mysterious man in the hot spring at the entrance of Murasaki Forest. The mole selling grubby items. Lucas's innocent, but wise beyond his years, eyes. 

Duster sighed as he finally made eye contact with Kumatora. He sat with her a little ways away from the hot spring, his bad leg stretched out in front of him. "I guess so." 

"You can always tell me to stop if you're uncomfortable, or in pain." She reassured, taking Duster's hands in her own. His hands were rough, and calloused in weird places as he learned the bass as Lucky. 

"...Alright." Duster said. 

"...Now. Close your eyes, and think. Try to go back as far as you can."

Duster closed his eyes. Kumatora did the same. He breathed deep, trying to slow his breathing and calm down. 

A minute passed in silence. Duster could feel Lucas's eyes burn into him, but nothing about him came. 

Darkness filled his mind.

Finally, Duster's eyes opened. Kumatora soon followed. They looked between each other. "Nothing." Duster said, feeling defeated. 

"Nothing about Oshoe castle? Your father, Wess? About... Tazmilly village?" Kumatora prompted, trying to sound hopeful.

Duster shook his head.

Kumatora sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Shit. That's just about all I got, tryna probe your memories. They're too deep for me to get to." Kumatora went to get up. "I guess we'll have to see if the Hummingbird Egg jogs your memory more than I can."

Duster was about to reply, but Lucas beat him to it. "Wait." Lucas said, his voice soft, but firm. "Don't go yet, Kuma. Let me try."

Kumatora paused, giving Lucas a curious look. Then, she plopped back down. "Oh, what the hell? I forgot you're psychic now, too. Go for it." She paused. "Don't feel bad if you can't do it either, though."

"Don't worry, I won't." Lucas replied. He moved to Duster. Boney whimpered for Lucas, but Kumatora scooted over to sit with Boney. As she began to pet him, he calmed down.

Duster was quiet as he watched Lucas sit cross legged in front of him. Lucas stared at him. Duster stared back. 

Lucas reached over and took Duster's hands in his own. It was almost comical with the size difference in their hands, but now was not the time for that.

"Are you ready?" Lucas asked.

Duster nodded.

They closed their eyes in unison, and waited.

A few seconds of nothing passed. Kumatora and Boney watched them, apprehensive. 

Then, something seemed to spark between them. A metaphorical wire ran from Duster's brain to Lucas's through their linked hands, sucking on the power from Lucas's PSI. 

Lucas felt himself drifting away from his physical body, sinking into Duster's brain. Sinking into the darkness, the emptiness, that filled it.

He sunk farther. The darkness seemed to  _ cling  _ to Lucas, dragging him down even faster. It threatened to suffocate Lucas, and fill his every being. But he hung on tighter. 

He didn't know how long, or far, he had gone, until flashes of images filled him. After being in the darkness for so long, they were blinding. Overwhelming.

The first image was of Duster's birth, long before Lucas was a thought in Flint’s mind. There was a younger looking Wess, looking proud, excited, and absolutely exhausted. He was sitting next to a bed with a woman in it. However, her face and body was shimmery and washed out, with darkness covering her face. It was a hole in reality. 

Even in the deep subconscious of Duster's mind, he forgot what his mother's face looked like.

Another image bombarded Lucas, burning afterimages in his eyes. This one was of Duster a little older. A mere toddler, oblivious to the world. Through Duster’s eyes, Lucas could hear Wess and his wife talking. More like arguing. Duster’s young mind couldn't process this. 

But Lucas could.

Lucas soaked up every shouted word between Wess and his wife. Finally, in a huff, Lucas heard one last expletive from her, before she slammed the front door behind her. It shook the entire house, rattling Lucas's every being.

A picture frame fell off the wall and shattered on the floor behind toddler Duster.

And that's when Duster finally started to cry.

A third image filled Lucas's mind. This was Duster even older, not much older than Lucas himself. This was the start of Duster's thief training. Wess was older, and somehow looked more tired than before. Still, he was diligent in his teachings. 

However, the image quickly changed. 

It shifted to Wess teaching Duster his wall staple technique on the cliff face near their house. Wess had made a mock ladder in the face way over his head, and commanded Duster to replicate it.

Full of vigour and wanting to please his father, Duster complied.

It didn't take long for Duster to misjudge the height of the ladder. He could hear his father calling for him to come down, that he was high enough, but Duster didn't hear him. Wess had been tuned out, until Duster ran out of wall staples.

An incredible fear filled Duster. That same overwhelming anxiety filled Lucas, threatening to choke him. Lucas thought he was going to cry as Duster stared down at his father in fear.

Wess seemed annoyed, but Lucas could tell he was scared, too. Nervous for his only son, the only family he had left. Wess tried to coax Duster to make his way down the ladder slowly.

Only about a quarter of the way down the ladder, Duster slipped. 

He had a split second to scream, before plummeting downwards. He heard Wess scream his name. Then the world went black.

An incredible pain took over Lucas, starting from his leg and shooting up his torso, all the way to his chin. His jaw clicked together tightly as he felt tears prick the corner of his eyes. He fought the urge to scream himself.

He couldn't.

Lucas went even deeper. The images strung together to make a poorly constructed movie. One that he couldn't control.

Duster waking up in his bedroom sometime later with Wess and Tessie over his body in an attempt to set his leg. The pain stayed. Another scene a little while later after Duster was stable of Wess giving him the lecture of a lifetime. 

Another when Duster was trying to relearn how to walk, but nearly giving up from the pain, and that it just wasn't the same anymore.

It never would be.

It--

"--Lucas! Let go!"

Lucas snapped awake with a choking gasp. He looked around wildly, jumping back from Duster and pulling his hands into himself. Breathing hard, he looked between Duster and Kumatora. His heart thumped deep in his chest.

Kumatora looked sickly pale, while Duster looked dazed. Out of it. Kumatora took a few breaths to calm her nerves. "Are you two okay?"

Lucas wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands. They shook. In that moment, he couldn't respond.

"I... I think so." Duster replied, recovering somewhat from his daze. "I'm more worried about Lucas, though."

"...I'm okay." Lucas managed, his voice thick. 

"....Did you get through to Duster?" Kumatora asked. 

Lucas could only manage a nod.

The stunned look returned to Duster's eyes. He looked at Lucas. "You... got through to me?"

Lucas nodded again. He balled his fists tightly in an attempt to stop the shaking.

"I... don't know how that's possible." Duster chose his words carefully. "I... still don't remember anything. Before or just now. I... didn't see any of that. Or hear it. Or feel it. Nothing."

"...What?" Lucas's knees buckled, and he sunk back down to the ground. The throbbing, searing pain in his leg was still there. He could still feel the anger and fear rolled into one that Wess felt. The frustration and hate Duster felt when failing to learn how to walk all over again. Was all that... for nothing?

"...Whatever you saw, Lucas, I didn't see it." Duster replied. "I'm sorry you had to see all that. When it didn't even help me." 

Lucas didn't reply.

"...Maybe we should stop this." Kumatora finally said. "The Hummingbird Egg is more important than your memories right now. No offense, Duster."

"Non taken."

Lucas let out a shaky breath. "You're right."

Silence passed between them. Boney busied himself with sniffing Lucas's legs and licking at his hands in an attempt to comfort him. 

Lucas let himself zone out, letting his mind wander to the rhythmic licking of Boney's tongue.

All that came to Lucas was darkness.

And for once, he embraced it. 


End file.
